Imaginary Friends
by Sillvog
Summary: After the Uchia massacre, Sasuke finds comfort in a new friend of his by the name of Naruto. The only problem with this is that no one’s ever heard of a boy by that name before. And that’s because no one else can see or hear him but Sasuke.


(Imaginary Friends)

After the Uchia massacre, Sasuke finds comfort in a new friend of his by the name of Naruto. The only problem with this is that no one's ever heard of a boy by that name before. And that's because no one else can see or hear him but Sasuke.

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Naruto was the antithesis of everything Itachi ever was. Where his brother was calm, quiet, and stoic, Naruto was brash, loud and exuberantly lively. Even his very appearances seemed to manifest this. He had bright blue eyes and even shockingly brighter spiky blond hair. He even always seemed to be smiling about something or other. To a lonely and betrayed Sasuke, he was a godsend.

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He didn't know why his new mysterious friend didn't want him to tell anybody about him, but he figured it had something to do with the fact that the blond didn't seem to trust anyone but him. He knew Naruto was an orphan like him and could relate to him better than anyone else could it seemed. In an effort to know more about him he asked about where he lived, but he couldn't seem to pry the location of his friends' home. Whenever he tried he got nothing more than a quiet grumbling or puffer fish faced pouts.

This changed after his first day of going back to the academe after the massacre. He had had annoying adults fuss over him being ready to go back to school all day. All they seemed to say was that he needed more time to recover after the incident and should move in with one of them to help him get back on track. He sorely disagreed. They only wanted the prestige of saying they raised the last loyal Uchia or they pitied him to a disgusting degree, or worse, both. It didn't matter one way or the other to him as they would both slow him down to getting more power to avenge his clan. The only one who understood this was Naruto. The blond fully agreed with his assessment of what the adults wanted, except that he didn't believe that they would slow his progress to power, not all of them at least.

As Sasuke set to the academy from the now ghostly quiet Uchia district, he noticed that Naruto was waiting for him outside his house. "It took you long enough teme. What were you doing? Practicing your pout so the girls would coo over you even more?" Naruto smiled his fox like grin and waited for Sasuke's usual retort of 'dobe' or 'usuratonkachi'. He didn't have to wait long as Sasuke called him dobe with a half smirk half smile. "It's not my fault you're not as popular as me because you're weak" Sasuke said with a smug look. At the two set off Naruto retorted "I'm not weak! I'm just not a show off like you. I'm a whole lot sneaker than you ever will be" was his playful reply. Sasuke snorted at that. But as he was about to continue their friendly banter, he noticed that they were just leaving the Uchia district and into a busy street full of people. If there was one thing about Naruto that confused him to no end it was Naurto's dislike of other people noticing him. Already Naruto was several paces ahead of him and slightly to the right, close to the shadowed walls of the buildings and homes they passes. He had asked before why he did this and was answered that if he were to walk right next to him or talked to him that it would undoubtedly be noticed and it was just plain safer for him if people ignored him. Sasuke swore he would make the blond spill his numerous secrets some day, just not right now.

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As Sasuke took his seat for the beginning of class he noticed that Naruto took a seat on his immediate right. He wouldn't admit it, but he was happy that his new friend that so hated to be noticed would willingly bring attention to himself by sitting next to him. Even better was that the blond was acting as a buffer for him from his fan girls and he knew Naruto was doing it on purposes for him, even if he couldn't get him to admit to doing such.

As the class started and the history lesion continued from last time Sasuke started to brood about Iatchi. Iruka-sensei was talking about the history of Wave country and how the people their killed anyone who had a bloodline limit. This was causing him to think more and more of his brother killing his clan. Before he could get farther in his inner musings, the whispered voice of Naruto in his ear distracted him. "Hay teme, if you keep making faces like that your face will get stuck, then you'll never get rid of your fan-girls. Look, their already drooling over you." And sure enough when Sasuke risked a glance past Naruto he could see several girls staring dreamingly at him. He slightly shuddered at the sight of two in particular fan-girls, a pinket and a blond with a ponytail. One of them really was drooling while looking at him! Sasuke quickly turned his eyes back to the front. He could hear Naruto quietly snickering next to him. He folded his hands in front of his face with his elbows and the desk and tried to glare at his almost laughing friend.

All it got him though was the girl on the opposite side across from Naruto to swoon out of her seat. This disrupted Iruka from his lecture on how the people used to be tortured and killed for their bloodline limit. As his teacher came up the row to check on the fallen girl, most of the class turned to look at her. Naruto was busting a gut laughing. He wasn't the only one as some of the other boys started to laugh thinking it was Iruka's gruesome lesson that caused the girl to faint. Sasuke sighed; this was going to be a long day.

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Sasuke was thoroughly annoyed. All day he had been bombarded by groups of girls asking him questions and crowding around his desk and ignoring the Naruto buffer like he wasn't even there and they could see right through the blond to lock their sights on him. He even had teachers from other classes single him throughout the day and ask if he needed anything. Naruto had acted strangely when this happened by either stepping to the side or flat out disappearing on him. But stranger still was the almost dark and calculating look on his normally hyperactive friend's face when the teachers left. Sasuke made a mental note to question him later about it. On the way home Naruto again took to his walking ahead of him and in the shadows all the way to the compound, occasionally looking behind for Sasuke.

As Naruto walked him to his doorstep and the two bid goodbye for the day and turned away from each other, Susuke called out, "Hey dobe! Wait up!" Naruto spun on his heel and glared back. "What teme?" Sasuke changed his mind and decided today would be the day he dragged some of Naruto's secrets out of him. The problem was how to go about doing it. He figured he wouldn't waste his time beating around the bush. "What was with you today? The way you were looking at the teachers and all." Naruto just looked lost. Sasuke felt an eye twitch and breathed out "Usuratonkachi."

Now one of Naruto's eyes twitched. "What's wrong? Upset that they didn't give you as much attention as the girls did?" mocked Naruto. Sasuke goaded, "At least I get their attention; those girls just looked right through you though." He watched satisfied as Naruto's face contorted into a scrawl and glare. "Like I want or need it!" was the indignant reply. Sasuke had him right where he wanted him. "Oh? And why's that?" he said in the most condescending voice he could muster. "It's not like they can s…!" Naruto abruptly cut off what he was yelling and his eyes widened. 'Damn!' Sasuke cursed, Naruto had almost spilled. "It's not like they can what?" Sasuke softly questioned. Only this time he didn't try to trick his friend into telling him. Although he didn't notice it himself, the question had a lot more of his worried feelings in it than he thought. Naruto hearing it started to hesitate in his reply of 'nothing'.

The blond sighed. "It's…..complicated." he finely answered in a subdued voice while looking away and to the ground. Sasuke might not have known the blond for very long, but he certainly knew that this was a lot more serious than what he had originally bargained for. The fact the loud blond was quiet was worrying, but coupled with the he wouldn't or couldn't even look at him spoke volumes more. Not likening the awkward feeling between them he decided to break it, "Hey dobe, why don't you come inside?" Naruto's head shot up and his eyes wide open. Sasuke had never invited anyone inside his home before and he knew it, especially after what had happened. The teme was a very private person.

While Naruto was lost in thought Sasuke started to become impatient. "What? Your home better than mine?" he tartly asked. What he didn't expect was Naruto's distracted answer of "I don't have a home." Now it was his turn for his black eyes to go wide and lock on a pair of blue. He knew his friend was an orphan, but he was homeless too!? "What do you mean you don't have a home?" he darkly questioned. Naruto, seeming to come out of it and realize what he had said tried to backpedal. Slightly panicking he started "Look, I didn't mean that..." Sasuke interrupted his excuse. He bluntly asked "Where do you live?" When he didn't get a response from the blond other than a slightly pensive face he snapped. "Here" the blond looked confused at the one word utterance. Sasuke glared at the blond for all he was worth and elaborated, "You live here now."

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This is my first time writing for some time. I know I have other stories to get working on, but my muse just came back from vacation it seems and hit me over the head with this one. Well, if you like it go ahead and review it! Even if you don't like it or had a problem with this go ahead and tell me why.


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